April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day

We celebrate the April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day of all our children. We respectfully commemorate Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day, named after the founding date of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, has been organized for every child to have a beautiful day. April 23 is the date of the opening of the first Grand National Assembly of Turkey, where we gained our full independence. In the years it was opened, our homeland and our people were in a very difficult situation. The country was under occupation by the Allied Powers, and at that time, the Ottoman Government remained silent about these events. The form of government was based on monarchy and theocracy. The only solution was to establish a new government to save the country and gain our independence, and to liberate the homeland from the occupiers. Thus, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey was opened, and the War of Independence began. Although the government was not officially a republic and did not have a head of government, it was effectively a republic. There was a government that governed the country under the supervision of the assembly, which consisted of representatives elected by the people; moreover, the principle of "sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation" was enshrined in the constitution.

The political power of the state was based on secularism, not religion. After the War of Independence, the form of government of the Turkish state was finalized, and later the 1921 Constitution (Fundamental Law) came into force, and the Republic was officially declared on October 29, 1923. The 1921 Constitution is the first constitution of the Republic of Turkey. With the declaration of the Republic, our national sovereignty was officially gained, and the form of government was determined.

Atatürk emphasized the importance of a government of a free, self-governing people, governed by democracy, with his words: "National sovereignty is such a light that chains melt away before it, crowns and thrones disappear, and sink." For this reason, despite difficulties, troubles, and challenges; we must always embrace and protect our state, which has been brought to these days with love for the homeland, national unity, and solidarity. We must instill the integrity of the homeland and the nation in our children. We must ensure their upbringing by knowing the importance of our national values.